| PRESS
RELEASES
|
The
Prelacy’s St. Gregory of Datev Institute concludes
17th Annual Armenian Christian Studies Program |
|
|
“The
best year I can remember at Datev... best class curriculum by far
and excellent teachers,” wrote one student on the Datev Institute
evaluation form. When asked the one thing that will stand out in
their minds when they think back to the Datev program, the students
give you a whole gamut of candid responses, including: “Dancing,”
“how much fun I had with my friends,” “the environment
of love and Armenians that I can not find anywhere else,”
“friendship in a context of Armenians and religious education,”
“The Bible studies,” “classes,” “the
panel discussion,” “to love God with all my heart and
to continue reading the Bible,” “getting closer to God,”
“new prayers,” “the joy of being here,”
“we are like a big family.” |
|
Christian
instruction and education, friendship and fellowship, worship
and prayer – these three elements governed and shaped the
communal life of the 72 students from 12 parishes, who had gathered
at the St. Mary of Providence center in Elverson, Pennsylvania,
along with 11 clergymen for the annual weeklong St. Gregory of
Datev Institute Armenian Christian Studies program, from June
29 – July 6, 2003, under the leadership of Very Rev. Fr.
Anoushavan Tanielian, the Vicar General and Chairman of the Religious
Council of the Prelacy. |
 |
| Datevatsi
instructors & participants gather for a group photo. |
Through
worship, lectures, interactive presentations, Bible studies, and
panel discussions, the curriculum exposed the students to a range
of important foundations of Armenian Christianity, from Bible and
creeds, sacraments and sacred chants, personal and corporate prayer,
language and history, to contemporary moral and ethical issues.
Every morning the students would file out for chapel for the Arevakal
service from 7:20-7:50, followed by breakfast at 8am. Classes were
held from 8:30am to 12:30pm, which resumed in the evening from 7:00
to 9:30. Each day came to a close with the Husgoom service from
9:30-10:00pm. The intensive program was tempered with afternoon
recreational activities, such as volleyball, soccer, and swimming.
There were also special excursions to the movies, to dine out, and
to the French Creek Park for canoeing. And there was the convivial
4th of July picnic.
Run by the Armenian Religious Education Council (AREC) of the Prelacy,
the St. Gregory of Datev Institute is a four-year (one week each
year) faith-based, youth program. Those who complete the 4-year
program may return for postgraduate classes. The classes for the
five levels of study take place concurrently. This year there were
17 first-year students, 18 second-year students, 11 third-year students,
6 fourth-year students (graduates), and 20 post-graduates.
The
participants were graced with the presence of the Prelate, His Eminence
Archbishop Oshagan, who took time out of his busy schedule to be
with the Datevatzies at the 4th of July picnic, sponsored by Asdghig
Kazanjian.
At the end of the week during the collective evaluation, it was
encouraging for the Institute staff hear that young people want
the Church to provide more opportunities for fellowship and spiritual
formation.
At the conclusion of the evaluation, Deacon Shant Kazanjian, Executive
Director of AREC, exhorted the youth to be ambassadors for the Datev
program in their communities and to bear witness to what they have
learned and experienced at Datev. “Invite one or two friends
next year,” he said. “It does not take a rocket scientist
to figure out that if we enlist one or two new students a year from
each parish, we will have the greatest youth movement that the Armenian
Church has ever seen,” Deacon Shant concluded.
The
weeklong program came to a close with the celebration of the Soorp
Badarak on Sunday, July 6, followed by luncheon, graciously provided
and served by Mr. and Mrs. Hrant and Arlene Jilozian.
During his sermon, in the presence of datevatzies and their parents,
Hayr Anoushavan enumerated the goals and objectives of the Institute,
and said that “if ‘datevatzies’ take with them
only a small percentage of what they were offered here during the
past week, that in itself will be a major contribution towards their
spiritual formation.”
The
educators
The instructors of the Institute were: Very Rev. Fr. Anoushavan
Tanielian, Rev. Fr. Mesrob Tashjian, Rev. Fr. Khoren Habeshian,
Rev. Fr. Antranig Baljian, Rev. Fr. Nerses Manoogian, Rev. Fr. Gomidas
Baghsarian, Rev. Fr. Khatchadour Boghossian, Rev. Fr. Sarkis Aktavoukian,
Dn. Dr. Hovaness Hovanessian, and Dn. Shant Kazanjian. In addition,
the following postgraduate “datevatzies” taught several
classes: Dn. Haig Baklayan, Dn. Nishan Baljian, Dn. Joe Garabedian,
Nayiri Baljian, Dr. Arsen Mekaelian, Jeanette Nazarian. This year
the Institute was privileged with the presence of three guest lecturers:
Prof. Peter Cowe of UCLA, Rev. Fr. Paul Tarazi of St. Vladimir’s
Orthodox Theological Seminary (NY), and ethnomusicologist Krikor
Pidedjian.
A
word of thanks
A program of this scope is made possible through the collaborative
efforts between AREC and parishes, parents, volunteer workers, and
a number of organizations and individuals. It is meet and right
to acknowledge and thank them for their support and contributions
to the Institute. In the first place, the Institute wishes to thank
the instructors for their labor of love and the parents for entrusting
their children to the Institute for a week of spiritual formation.
The Institute would like to express its gratitude to the following
datevatzies for their invaluable services as supervisors and counselors:
Dn. Haig Baklayan, Dn. Nishan Baljian, Dn. Joseph Garabedian, Ms.
Barbara Baljian, Ms. Nayiri Baljian, Mr. Arek Hamalian, Dr. Arsen
Mekaelian, Mrs. Martha Mekaelian, Ms. Jeanette Nazarian, and Mrs.
Marie-Jean Zaatar. Many thanks to those parishes that subsidized
a portion of the expenses by providing scholarships. The Institute
extends its appreciation to the Pashalian Family Education Fund
for the donation of $2,400.00. A special word of thanks to Mrs.
Asdghig Kazanjian (the owner of Armenian Delight in Philadelphia)
for sponsoring the 4th of July picnic, and to Mr. and Mrs. Hrant
and Arlene Jilozian for providing the farewell luncheon on Sunday,
July 6.
The
Institute thanks the following generous supporters: The Prelacy
Ladies Guild (PLG), the National Association of Ladies’ Guild
(NALG), Dr. and Mrs. Gerard M. Goshgarian, Mr. and Mrs. John Karnikyan,
Mr and Mrs. Martin P. Luthy III, Mr. and Mrs. Noubar Megerian, Dr.
and Mrs. Michael Nalbantian.
Thanks also to the following donors: Dr. Carlo Bayrakdarian, Mr.
and Mrs. Antranig Bedrossian, Mr. and Mrs. Gary Garabedian, Mr.
and Mrs. Hovnan Giveleghian, Mr. and Mrs. Antranig Harutunian, Ms.
Karen Jehanian, Mr. and Mrs. Hrant Jilozian, Mr. Paul Megerian,
Dr. and Mrs. Arsen Mekaelian, Mr. Allen Mons, Mr. and Mrs. Zaven
Oranjian, Ms. Kayaneh Shirozian, and Mr. and Mrs. Dickran Tenguerian.
Participants
The 72 participants at the 2003 St. Gregory of Datev Institute came
from the following communities:
14 from St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Church, Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania; 14 from Sts. Vartanantz Armenian Church, Ridgefield,
New Jersey; 7 from St. Stephen’s Armenian Church, Watertown,
Massachusetts; 6 from Sts. Vartanantz Armenian Church, Providence,
Rhode Island; 6 from Holy Trinity Armenian Church, Worcester, Massachusetts;
5 from St. Sarkis Armenian Church, Douglaston, New York; 5 from
St. Paul Armenian Church, Waukegan, Illinois; 4 from St. Asdvadzadzin
Armenian Church, Toronto; 3 from St. Gregory Armenian Church, North
Andover, Massachusetts; 2 from St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian
Cathedral, New York, New York; 1 from Armenian Presbyterian Church,
New Jersey; 5 from France. |
|
